Net-cutting and signal attachment for submarines.



G. TAUBERT.

NET CUTTING AND SIGNAL ATTACHMENT FOR SUBMARINES. APPLTCATION FILED JUNE 23, I915.

1,21%,238. Patented Jan. 30,1917.

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G.TAUBERT.

NET CUTTING AND SIGNAL ATTACHMENT FOR SUBMARINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23. 1916- Patented J 30, 1917- WITNESSES 4 3 1- 'tmdafi'" BY V I A9 1 '63 I ms NORRIS runs :0. PNOTD-LITNQ. wAsnmcmu. 0. c.

GOTTI-IART TAUBERT, F PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

NET-CUTTING AND SIGNAL ATTACHMENT FOR SUBMARINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

Application filed June 23, 1916. Serial No. 105,344.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Go'rrrnnrr TAUBERT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsfield, in the county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Net-Cutting and Signal Attachment for Submarines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to naval appliances and has particular reference to improvements in submarine craft whereby they may be able to extricate themselves from sub-surface net work of wire or the like.

Among the objects of the invention, there fore, is to provide an attachment for the bow of a submarine boat or the like whereby the oflicers of the boat will be immediately apprised of the presence of a net when the same is encountered.

Another object of the invention is to vide an attachment for a submarine or similar boat comprising cuttingdevices operated normally at low speed and serving by that fact to cause an alarm to be sounded when an obstruction is encountered, said cutting devices, however, being adapted to be operated at high speed for the purpose of extricating the boat from the entanglement.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or claimed herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a diagram of conventional form of submarine, showing my improvement at the bow; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the same: Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of a fragment of the boat indicating in plan the driving mechanism of my improvement; Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on the line H of Fig. 8; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but indicating the change of relative position of certain parts due to the encountering of an proobstruction; Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional detail indicating a slight modification of the cutting apparatus.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 1 show, by way of illustration of a practical ocean-going vessel. to which my appliance is adaptable, a conventional form of submarine having any approved means for offense or defense, but which features are not shown since they are not concerned with my present improvement. Neither do I show any prime movers within the hull, but it will be understood that any suitable motors may be employed for operation of the boat and the usual-equipment as well as my improvement.

is indicated best in Fig. 2, I provide a shaft 10 journaled in a stuffing boX 11 at the power end of the boat and in bearings 12 and 13 at any desired distance back of the bow. At 141, 1 indicate a countershaft parallel to the main shaft 10 and adapted to be driven at either high or low speed by suitable power connection not indicated. The countershaft is journaled in bearings 12' and 13 adjacent the respective bearings 12 and 13. A pinion 15 is secured to the countershaft and meshes with a gear 16 mounted loosely upon the main shaft.

At the bow of the boat is arranged a vertical bar 17 having a series of notches 18 and fixed guide pins 19. As indicated in Fig. 7, I may provide also a horizontally projecting bracket 20 having a series of notch-es 18 similar to those in the vertical bar. At 21, 1 indicate one or more reciproeating cutters, each having slots 22 whereby it is guided along the bar or bracket having the notches, each cutter being provided with teeth arranged by number and spacing according to the number of notches in the bracket or bar. I show these reciprocating cutters 21 arranged in pairs, the members of each pair being movable simultaneously toward and from each other by means of links 23 connected to studs 24: at their outer ends and having straps 25 mounted upon a pair of eccentrics 26 secured to the end of the main shaft 10. As shown clearly in Fig. 6, these eccentrics 26 are arranged dia-.

ters may be operated at high speed, there will be comparatively little vibration caused to the rotating parts. In Fig. 7, I indicate corresponding cutters 21 connected similarly to a second pair of eccentrics 26 through links 23 and studs 2% to the main shaft.

The gear 16 is connected rigidly to the rear end of a sleeve 27 having a threaded portion 28 at its middle part, and a smooth portion 29 between the threaded portion and the gear. At the front end of the sleeve is secured a clutch disk 30 adapted to grip another clutch disk 31 secured rigidly to the main shaft. The gear 16 is provided with a plurality of holes 32 arranged diametrically opposite each other and at equal distances from the shaft.

At 33, I indicate a disk-shaped abutment surrounding the shaft 10 adjacent the rear face of the gear 16 and splined at 31 to the shaft, whereby a slight longitudinal movement of the abutment member is permitted along the shaft. The abutment member has arc-shaped o-penings35 which are adapted to register with the holes 32 of the gear wheel, but are indicated as of greater circumferential extent than said holes. The periphery of the abutment is provided with a notch 36 into which a roller 37 is normally seated. Said roller is carried by an arm 38 pivoted at 39 to the gear wheel and provided with a finger 40, upon which bears a spring 41 carried by the other side of the wheel. 42 is a fixed connection for the opposite end of the spring, and 43 indicates a guide through which the spring projects. A set screw 14: extends inwardly through one side of the guide and thereby the force of the spring is increased by the tightening of the screw. The normal position of the gear wheel abutment member and connecting parts is shown in Fig. 4:, while Fig. 5 indicates the changed position of the parts due to the rotation of the gear wheel. independently of the abutment member.

A collar 45 surrounds the smooth portion 29 of the sleeve 27. The front end of the collar and internal thread is adapted to cooperate with the threaded portion 28 of the sleeve, and a spring l6 lies between the thread-ed end of the collar and a shoulder 47 formed on the sleeve adjacent the front face of the wheel 16. The spring is under normal tension, tending to throw the collar forwardly so as to bring its threaded front end into engagement with the threads 28. The rear 'end of the collar is provided with an outwardly projecting flange 48 carrying a pair of hooks 49 parallel to the axis of the shaft and proje'ctable through the holes 32 of the gear wheel to resist the tendency of the spring thus referred to. The points 49' of the-hooks engage over the rear face of the gear wheel within the openings35 of the abutment member. lVhen, therefore, the gear is rotated independently of the abutment member, the effect of the abutment member is to wipe the hooks free fromthe engagement of their points, allowing the spring -16 to throw the collar forwardly into engagement with the thread 28. The collar carries an arm 50 which, by engagement with a switch box 51, prevents rotation of the collar.

Any suitable signal or other electrical connection may be carried by the switch box 51. For this purpose, I indicate a switch I blade 51 adapted to be engaged directly by the collar 45 so as to give an immediate signal to the occupants of the boat the moment the collar is shot forwardly by the spring. The arm 50, in addition to preventing the rotation of the collar, may engage through sw tches 52 and 53 for other purposes, the

latter switch being for the reversing of the motor, although the threaded portion. of the sleeve terminates far enough back of the clutch 30 to prevent damage to the machine in case reversal does not takeplace at the proper time.

By the mechanism set forth herein, I provide a means whereby the occupants of the submarine will be immediately apprised of the fact that a submerged net is encoun tered. One of the dii'liculties'of submarine navigation is that when a net is encountered, the occupants of the boat are not aware of the fact until they are hopelessly entrapped. According to my plan the cutting devices 21 are operated normally at low speed during the ordinary running of the boat. The power required for operating the cutters is comparatively slight and is made effective only through the temporary connection between the gear wheel 16 and the shaft 10 through the engagement of the roller 37 in the notch 36. atwhi'ch the cutters are operated is very low, and the power connection for driving the same is not positive, any wire rod or the like which may engage in any one of the notches 18 or 18, as the case may be, will not be out immediately, but will'serve only to clog the cuttingv devices and stop the shaft 10, and, of course, the abutment member 33 will stop immediately with the shaft. The gear 16, however, will be still driven inthe direction indicated by the arrows on.

Figs. 4 and 5, carrying the roller 36 out of the notch and causing the hooks 49 tostrike Since the speed and brought into engagement with the threaded portion '28 of the sleeve which with the wheel continues its rotation. By this time the signal will have been given by the closing of the switch 51 and the occupants of the boat will know that an obstruction has been encountered. The occupants, therefore, will take such steps as will be necessary to cut themselves loose, and in order to do this, a hand wheel 54L threaded upon the main shaft at 55 will be rotated to cause the abutment member and sleeve 27 to make positive connection between the clutch disks 30 and 81. One of the switches, as for instance the switch 52, by this time will have increased the power of the driving means and also its rate of speed, so that by the time the clutch members 30 and 31 are connected, the cutting devices will be started for both powerful and rapid reciprocation, with the result that the obstructing elements will be parted giving the submarine clearance for free movement. A spring 56 may be interposed between the wheel 5-1 and the abutment disk to prevent premature tightening of the clutch devices. From what has been stated above, it may be inferred that the automatic switches may include one that will stop the motor or engine or to reverse the motor so as to stop or reverse the running of the boat. From the fact also that the superstructure of the boat may extend, as indicated in the drawings, above the upper end of the cutting device, it is essential that the boat be operated for successive cuts at different elevations in order to provide ample clearance for its escape.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a stationary notched bar and a reciprocating cutter cooperating therewith, of driving means for the cutter including a slip connection permitting the stoppage of the cutter, signal means set into operation by the stoppage of the cutter, and means to positively connect the driving for increased power and greater speed.

2. In a net cutting attachment for submarines, the combination of cutting devices, means to operate the said cutting devices normally at low speed through a slip connection, and means to positively make high power and higher speed connection between the driving means and the cutter after the stoppage of the cutting devices takes place.

3. In a net cutting device for submarines, the combination of a cutting device, means to drive the same normally at low speed and permit the stoppage thereof by an obstruction, signal means set into operation by the stoppage of the cutting devices, and means to make positive connection subsequently between the driving devices and the cutting devices.

4. In a net cutting device for submarines,

the combination of a main shaft, power means for driving the same, slip connections between the power means and the shaft serving to drive the shaft normally without obstruction, cutter devices connected to the shaft and serving to stop the rotation of the shaft when an obstruction is encountered, and other connecting means between the power devices and the shaft for operating the cutting devices powerfully and at high speed.

5. In a net cutting device for submarines, the combination of a rotary member, cutting devices connected to the rotary member, power means, slip connections between the power means and the rotary member serving to drive the cutting devices normally without obstruction but permitting the stoppage of the rotary member and cutting devices automatically when an obstruction is reached, and means set into operation automatically by the stoppage of the rotary member as aforesaid for giving a signal automatically and increasing the speed of the driving connections.

6. In a net cutting device for submarines, the combination of a rotary member, means to operate the same powerfully, a pair of reciprocating cutting devices, and connections between said devices and the rotary member causing said devices to operate simultaneously toward and from each other.

7 In a net cutting device for submarines, the combination of a power shaft, a fixed notched member, a pair of reciprocating cutting devices cooperating with the notched member, a pair of eccentrics connected to the shaft, and strap and link connections be tween the cutting members and said eccentrics whereby upon rotation ofthe shaft both cutting devices are operated.

8. In a net cutting device for submarines, the combination of a power shaft, cutting devices connected thereto, a power driven countershaft parallel to the first-mentioned shaft, and two sets of driving connections between the main shaft and the countershaft and adapted to be operated in succession.

9. In a net cutting device for submarines, the combination of a main shaft, cutting devices operated therefrom, a power member, a slip connection between the power member and the main shaft operative while the cut ting devices are idle and running at low speed, means to cause the slip connection to be drawn out of gear automatically when an obstruction is reached by the cutting devices, and high power and higher speed connections between the power member and the main shaft adapted to be set into operation after the low speed connection is drawn out of gear.

10. Ihe herein described net cutting attachment for submarines comprising a main shaft, cutting devices connected thereto, a

3: t0 the other end of the sleeve, an abutment member adjacent the driving member and splined to the shaft, slip connections betweenthe driving member and the abutment member adapted for automatic disconnection, and means to force the abutment mem-' ber longitudinally of the shaft to cause the first mentioned clutch members tobe connected powerfully. 7

GOTTHART TAUBERT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent;

Washington, D. G. 

